AN sorry that it took so long for me to update. Well, here it is and enjoy
A headache was definitely making its way into her head as she stood in front of the Bebop in a repair hangar.
After hours a week of searching she had finally found the Bebop, unfortunately it had to be on Venus. Faye hated Venus, it always seems to rain all the time.
The condition of the Bebop was, well, let's say less than appealing at the moment. Apparently, the Bebop had a little crash with a drunken pilot.
However, that wouldn't have matter to Faye in the least bit if the situation was different, but it was not.
She looked down at herself and felt like screaming. She had on a mechanic uniform. At first it seemed like a brilliant plan, all she would have to do was play the part of the mechanic and when the time was right she would take Edward away. But as she stared at the ship she realized her mistake...she had assumed too much.
True, that she was known for getting on her hands and knees and dirtying her dress when it comes down to business but she was not prepared to repair a wreck like this. When she got word that there had been an accident, she had assumed that it was a mere scratch or, a the worse, a large dent. What she did not expect was this junk with a engine barely holding on.
Faye felt a migraine grow deep in her skull, she looked away from the wreck and rubbed her temples.
"Men," She grumbled to herself, "Why can't they learn to pilot a ship?"
"It wasn't our fault, lady" Faye turned around and smiled sweetly at a balding middle aged man. Immediately she recognized him as Jet Black.
"Of course it wasn't," She turned around quickly and scowled.
She picked up her tool box and proceeded towards the ship. It looked like a wreck from a perfect storm but it she could fix it up, eventually.
She flipped open a small hand held computer from her tool box and scanned the ship for the damages.
"Twenty damaged areas," Faye shook her head and closed her scanner. "Okay, lets do this,"
"Miss?" The voice sent chills down her back, it was a easygoing tenor voice. It was calm and she almost...almost relaxed her guard.
"Yes?" Faye's legs dared not turn around to meet the men in fear that he might be as attractive as his voice and that would be a distraction which she could not afford.
"How long would it take to fix it up?" The melodious voice ranged sweetly in her ears and she reluctantly shook it off.
"A week at the least. Why, going somewhere?" She asked as she proceeded closer to the Bebop. The farther she was from that voice, the better. But no such luck. She could hear the man's footsteps follow closely behind her.
"Well yeah. I'm planning on going to Mars. I heard there was a big bounty there for a some girl," The man replied however this time she was not entranced by it. Instead her palms begin to perspire.
Her mind began to quake with a thousand thoughts and worries flying in and out. She knew perfectly well there were several people on Mars, especially women in the syndicate, who had a large bounty on their head. One being Julia who she did not care for. And she had yet to find out if there was one posted on her.
"Mars?" She turned around and her eyes settled on the familiar face which she had studied for hours in a photograph. It was Spike Spiegel. And possibly the most attractive man that she had ever laid eyes on but under the circumstances she did linger on that thought for very long.
"Yeah, Mars"
Spike had to admit that she was quite the beauty. Her green eyes gleamed with a proud and lively aura. Her skin was pale and looked soft to want to caress. Her lips were of roses and she smelled faintly of jasmine.
There was a spark in his eye. He wanted her.
Faye bit her lower lip and contemplated a thought in her head, not realizing that Spike had a look of want in his mismatched brown eyes, which she had come to know so well in the photos.
"So who's the bounty?" Faye asked casually as she turned and proceeded towards the ship.
Spike frowned when she turned, however that did not discourage him. After all it had been a while since he had seen a real beauty and he needed a woman at the moment.
"Her name is Penny. She steals information and secrets and sells it to the highest bidder,"
Faye felt her shoulders relax as relief washed over her. Good, it was no one she knew. She breathed deeply and cracked a grin.
"Well, I better start working on the ship." She stopped in her tracks and looked back and smiled at him.
Spike felt his cigarette slip out between his fingers, and his heart skip a beat as she smiled. If he had thought she was beautiful before, she was simply irresistible now.
Spike only nodded as he watched her walk away. "What's your name?"
"Just call me Faye," She waved back as she approached the wreck before her. She sighed in irritation as she glanced at the ship. She had much rather enjoyed gazing at Spike then this junk. Thinking that he had left she turned around only to find him staring at her. She bit her lip and ignored his stare.
"By the way, I'm Spike. Spike Spiegel."
"Nice to meet you, Spike Spiegel." Faye turned around and mentally kicked herself. She new that he would be a distraction. She had knew since the first time she saw his face in the photo.
"Come on Faye. Keep your head screwed on," She whispered to herself as she scanned the engine.
Spike watched her as she started to work. Her slender fingers fumbled in nervousness probably because she could sense him watching her. Spike took one last glance then left the hangar to find Jet and Ed.
~ * ~
After a long day of broken nails, scraped knees, greasy hands, and hair knots she was finally home or, rather, her rented apartment. She sank right into her hot bath and closed her heavy aching eyelids.
She disliked kidnapping people, it was too much fuss to put up with. It was rather easier just to kill people. At least she didn't have to put up with them. But somehow she suspected that this mission would be a little bit different. She knew exactly why it would be different and wished she didn't know.
It was that man, Spike. He made her jumpy. Worse, he made her become distracted. Which was something she could not afford or else she would lose her dignity and respect if Vicious finds her unworthy and gives the mission over to Julia.
Faye hated Julia for as long as they've known each other. Julia had always gotten everything she wanted in life. Julia had the perfect blonde hair and dreamy eyes with a sun kissed complexion. While Faye was pasty and pale with short black hair with a purple tint which did not match her bright green eyes. It never seemed fair. Julia had everything and she had nothing. Julia had the attention of everyone including Vicious. Everyone believed that Julia was more competent and delicate than Faye. Not to mention that Julia looked better in a black leather cat suit.
Faye growled and kicked the tub, none too gently, after that thought crossed her mind. She soon regretted it when she felt a sharp pain travel through her foot and into her ankle.
"That can't be good," Faye lolled her head back and breathed deeply and let her body slowly letting the endorphins ease away the pain.
Her mind began to drift into peace as she hummed, unsurprisingly, off key. Than, unwillingly a face formed in her subconscious mind.
The face was narrow and chiseled with a pair of mismatched brown eyes and green hair to go along with everything else. And thin lips which she had an urge to kiss. Her eyes than snapped open when her awareness flew back. She shook her head and groaned.
"I will not be distracted. I will not be distracted. I will not be distracted. I...am distracted," Faye grimaced and held her breath as she pulled herself under the surface.
~ * ~
Faye slouched in front of the computer screen as she examined the rest of the repairs. There was only about a few left. It had been five days since the Bebop had landed and only two more to go before they take off for Mars. Faye had to work fast or stall them.
Then, her gaze quickly abandoned the screen as they settled on her target, Edward. She intently watched Edward with great interest. Over the past few days she discovered that Edward was, in fact, a very unusual yet special kid but don't get her wrong. She still hated kids. They were nothing but trouble and always want to touch everything with their grubby fingers.
She watched as Edward jumped around the outside of the ship with the dog, Ein, in her arms. She felt sorry for the dog. After all it was constantly by Edward's side and that, she concluded, didn't give him too much peace and quiet which Faye felt was necessary for everyone.
She had been waiting for five days for a perfect time to snatch Edward. Every time when they were alone and when she was just about to make her move Spike would show up and ruin it. He was definitely a problem. It also didn't help that she had to keep her guard up every time he was around. Just the knowledge that he was a ex-cop made her skin tingle. She wanted to get as far away from a cop as possible but deep inside she knew that she couldn't stay away from him.
She had never known a man like him before. He was smooth yet always on guard. His moves and just his personality alone was liquid like, always flowing and calm. There was no words to describe him. All she knew was that she liked seeing him and listening to him talk. He piqued her interest.
She shook her head when she realized that thoughts of him had got her off track. She was supposed to be watching Edward. It had been hours and she was finally alone but it was too late. Her golden chance had dissolved. Spike had entered the picture.
"No wonder why Vicious told me to watch out for him," Faye turned back to her screen. She knew she would have to stall the Bebop's departure if things kept going the way they were.
"So how's the ship coming along?" Spike asked as he lit a cigarette and brought it to his thin lips.
Faye kept her back towards him even though she felt the chills go down her spine. She had a feeling that if she were to turn around she would see his brown gaze on her. That, she wouldn't be able to handle at the moment.
"Well?" He asked again.
"Um, I think it'll take a little longer than what I originally thought," Faye replied.
Spike leaned against a wall and quirked an eyebrow. "How much longer?"
Faye looked at the screen, it would have been probably one more day but she had to improvise on that. "Five more days," She lied.
"Okay then. I can wait." Spike pushed himself off the wall and grabbed Edward and walked out of the hangar and towards a nearby hotel.
As soon as they entered the room they smelled dinner. Edward immediately ran towards the kitchen where the food was. Spike slowly followed. As he entered the kitchen his hopes were dashed.
"Bellpeppers and Beef?" Spike groaned as he took a seat and stared none too enthusiastically at his plate. "With no beef?"
"Hey, if you don't like it you can go somewhere else. This is all we can afford with the money we have at the moment," Jet grumbled but smiled when he saw Edward munching away. "Well, at least someone here appreciated my cooking,"
Spike looked over at Edward and sighed, "Ed doesn't count. She'd eat anything."
Jet grumbled something as he took a seat and began chowing down. Spike could only watch the two eat.
"So Spike how long is the ship going to take?" Jet asked in between chews.
"Five more days," Spike picked up a fork and began eating, unwillingly.
"I bet you wouldn't mind," Jet snickered.
Spike raised an eyebrow and stared at Jet, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean," Jet grinned.
Edward stopped eating and watched both men in curiosity.
"No, I don't know what you mean," Spike crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.
Edward imitated Spike but only to end up tipping the chair over and falling down with a loud shout. Jet shook his head at Ed and turned his attention back to his comrade.
"I've seen the way you look at her. I have also seen the way she looks at you when she thinks no one's watching," Jet said.
"She's pretty, I'll give you that much," Spike grinned.
"She's got you hooked," Jet smirked as he got up and left. Ed quickly followed behind Jet.
Spike closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He thought for a moment and chuckled when he realized that she, indeed, had him hooked.